MY STORY

Came for the good vibes,
stayed for the free therapy

I was first introduced to yoga by my older brother and sister when I was 15 years old, hot yoga and power vinyasa — hard to believe that was 25 years ago! The invigorating sensations of strengthening the body in new ways kept me coming back for more, and a few yoga practices a week was the perfect complement to basketball and long-distance running.

I got more serious about my practice in my early 20s. The office life of sitting long hours over a screen had its way with me — stress, constant back pain, too young to feel so old! Having been born what doctors suspected was scoliosis, the pain was something I was used to, along with arms that would go numb, and a prescription for massages that didn’t address the issues.

Inspired by the profound physical changes I witnessed in a close friend who had studied Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga with the Jois family in India, I started a daily practice here in Ottawa, and completed a basic 200hr Teacher Training Certification course in Hatha Yoga at the once famous Rama Lotus Yoga Centre in 2008.

Serious (shown above).

Humble roots in Teaching…

My apartment was just big enough for six mats, so I taught twice a week to whoever would show up, mostly friends, though occasionally complete strangers buzzed my door. Teaching yoga quickly became a labour of love, and a refuge from demanding work in communications and public education that often involved working 16+ hours a day. As summer came around, I taught free classes in local parks, which led to teaching opportunities at two studios, and from there the ball kept rolling.

Since then I’ve taught over 40,000 hours of yoga and served as the lead facilitator in 20 Yoga Teacher Training Certification programs. I’ve also offer virtual classes through my online studio which includes 100+ curated classes and monthly challenges.

Krishnamacharya (1888 – 1989), the innovator behind modern day vinyasa yoga.

Krishnamacharya (1888 – 1989), the innovator behind modern day vinyasa yoga.

Back to the Roots…

The teachings of Krishnamacharya have been a deep inspiration to millions of yoga practitioners worldwide, myself included. Krishnamacharya founded the basis of what later became known as the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga method in the 1930s. This movement system is comprised of practical yoga philosophies that appeal to people in modern times, while incorporating more traditional breath and meditation techniques. As he aged, Krishnamacharya continued to evolve and refine his teachings, constantly adapting yoga to the needs of the individual. 

In 2014, I studied directly with Richard Freeman for a summer. Widely considered the world’s foremost authority on Ashtanga Yoga, he taught me to be more open-minded, to take people on a journey through the relationship between the breath and the body, and to resist the compulsion to become fixated on my own preferences or point of view. “Truth lies among the multiplicity of viewpoints.”

TEACHING STYLE

Having explored a variety of systems, I believe an individualized approach to yoga is the most practical path for people from all walks of life. To better serve people like you, I expanded the scope of my studies to embrace simple functional movements as a way of re-imagining a healthy and therapeutic approach towards many traditional yoga poses. With an emphasis on connecting breath with movement, innovation feels true to the intentions of traditional vinyasa yoga.

The breath is integral to my teaching approach. Emotional distress and physical pain are closely tied together at the level of the nervous system — the breath is a way of fundamentally rewiring how we process human experiences. A deep diaphragmatic breath is as fundamental to relaxing the mind as it is to learning a handstand.

27747707_10159774046455212_6636691507097881927_o.jpg

NOTABLE EXPERIENCES

  • Lead Teacher in 20 Yoga Teacher Training programs since 2010.
    (200 hour YTT, Internationally Registered with Yoga Alliance) 

  • Founded the 200hr Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training, offering participants students a thorough education (2016-Present)

  • Have taught over 15,000 hours of yoga and 100s of workshops.

  • Philosophy Workshop (15hr) with Srivatsa Ramaswami: Nathamuni's Yoga Rahasya

  • Richard Freeman & Mary Taylor (2014) - Month-long Teachers Intensive

  • Applied Anatomy & Physiology of Yoga (200hr course) with Simon Borg (Yoga Synergy)

  • Founded Om School Yoga Training and led two YTT programs (2014-2015)

  • Co-led YTT at Pure Yoga Ottawa (2012-2013) with Todd Lavictoire and Mark Laham

  • Co-led two YTT at Upward Dog Yoga School (2010-2011)

  • Edited and revised YTT Manual for Rama Lotus Yoga Centre based on 300hrs of research (2009)

  • Graduated 200hr Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Certification Program (2008)

 

WORKSHOPS FROM THE PAST

To book a workshop weekend in your online teacher training or your studio, please reach out to yoga@michaeldynie.com

  • Bandhas in Asana and Pranayama - 4 part course

  • Core Strength and Breathing

  • The Science of Stretching

  • Floating Vinyasa - How to Float (pike press etc)

  • Principles of Pain-Free Backbending

  • Growing a lotus - Open healthy hips

  • Psoas Release - a whole-body experience

  • Intermediate Backbends - Dropping back and Standing up

  • Demystifying the Bandhas

  • Six-Day Ashtanga Vinyasa Alignment Intensive

  • Art of Arm Balances and Inversions - 4 part course

  • Yoga Beyond the Basics

  • Yoga Philosophy 101 - An Introduction the Patanjali Yoga Sutras and Hatha Yoga Pradipika

  • Handstand and Crow

  • Sequencing Course: Energetics, Anatomy and Progressions